24-Hour Composition Extravaganza
For the last few years, students at the University of Saskatchewan have organized a weekend of composing and performing new works. Each composer has 24 hours to compose a brand new piece of music, and then the next day, the performers have the day to learn and perform the new works.
Message in the Snow
2021 | 1.4' Art Song |
For this year's round of the Composition Extravaganza, we were given 48 hours to create a new piece of music. I took the opportunity to begin working on an art song I've been wanting to write since a lovely snowy walk to work in 2017. As I approached the Broadway Bridge and saw the river below, I noted a curious pattern of footprints on the ice. Why, those are letters! Someone had written something in the snow on the river.
This piece is by no means finished, but hopefully through commissioning (*wink*) or other sources of funding, I will find some time to complete this song. |
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I'd like to give a heartfelt thank you to the organizers of this year's Composition Extravaganza - you had your work cut out for you with needing to create a safe and socially distant music experience!
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Verboden te Storten
2020 | 3' Saxophone quartet |
Based on the unique call of some birds I heard in my travels to Oostende, Belgium. The name comes from a sign on the lawn that appears to a non-Flemish speaker as "No short people." In actuality it means "don't shorten the grass"
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Carrot Sandwich
2018 | 2.5' Oboe, piano, soprano and mezzo-soprano |
For my first attempts at a 24-hour piece, my intent was to use the voice in a non-lead capacity and give the focus to the oboe. The sporadic libretto comes from a colleague's rendition of a story that they misunderstood. The random nature and incomprehensibility of the libretto reflects this silly story.
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